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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27185920">Love at First Fowl</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lohksparce/pseuds/Lohksparce'>Lohksparce</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Destiny (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crack Treated Seriously, Drinking &amp; Talking, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, The Red War (Destiny), This Was Supposed to be a Dumb Joke but It Turned Real</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:36:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,296</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27185920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lohksparce/pseuds/Lohksparce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What are the chances of finding your true love on a battlefield, in the middle of a war, with your chicken and his chicken? Apparently enough for it to happen to Cayde and it's a tale he enjoys telling.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cayde-6/Original Cabal Character (Destiny)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love at First Fowl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was supposed to be a short little funny joke thing based on the scene where Cayde ambushes a Centurion with Colonel. </p>
<p>I thought, 'Hey, what if that Centurion also had a chicken pal and they fell for each other?' Three thousand words, multiple scenes of Cayde for reference, and looking up chicken courtship routine on Wikipedia later, this fic came to be. It was really fun to write. LOL </p>
<p>I may revisit these two later, I dunno.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shu's bar was as full as ever.</p>
<p>Guardians and civilians alike were crammed into booths or sitting on stools at the bar, enjoying the fast-paced jazz playing on a replica of an ancient pre-Golden Age 'jukebox', whatever that meant. Why call it a jukebox and not a music box? What <em>was </em>a 'juke', anyhow? But that was off topic. The bar was full, everyone was happy, the heavenly scent of cheap fried foods and booze was in the air, and the drink was as good as ever. After the horrors of the Red War, it was nice to relax and have a drink like old times, even if the bar had a few holes left in it.</p>
<p>It didn't hurt he had a full house to come back to either. Sure, in the past it had been <em>temporarily </em>filled in the past, but now it was permanent, and it was nice.</p>
<p>"Hey, Cayde! Caaaayde!"</p>
<p>The Hunter Vanguard looked up from his glass of opaque blue alcohol, barely hearing his name over the vibrant atmosphere of the bar.</p>
<p>"That would be me," Cayde's oral lights flashed bright with each word and he turned to face the two Guardians hovering over his booth. "What can ol' Cayde-6 do for two of my most favorite Hunters in this wonderful universe of ours?"</p>
<p>One of them, an Awoken woman with short, cropped hair laughed, one arm wrapped around her pal and another holding a strange, bubbling liquid that looked like Vex milk and smelt like a Hive's backside. "Callie here hasn't heard about how you met your husband. Can you believe it? <em>Everyone</em> knows that story. It's like, the highest viewed article on the VanNet! It even beat the one about what's under Shaxx's mask! C'mon, you gotta tell her."</p>
<p>"Traveler, shut up, Tessa! You're embarrassing me," Callie awkwardly attempted to hide her blush with her hood.</p>
<p>Cayde recognized them both. Tessa was a great Hunter, always on time with her bounties and had some great stories from the field. She was someone he wouldn't mind going out on a strike with sometime. Callie was still somewhat of a Kinderguardian though, rezzed sometime after the Red War he knew that much at least. Nice kid, real nice kid. She showed a lot of promise.</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it, I don't mind. It's one of my best if I do say so myself, and I do," Cayde grinned and took a sip of his drink. "Come, come! Take a nice little cozy sit next to your dear friend Cayde, get those drinks filled up, and I will tell you a tale of how one handsome, horned Exo and his giant, wonderful, chicken-loving husband met on the battlefield."</p>
<p>Tessa and Callie scrambled into the seats across from Cayde, grinning from ear to ear.</p>
<p>"Alright, spill the beans! Again. This may or may not be my tenth time hearing this story," Tessa laughed until she snorted. "It's so romantic! It's just like those books you read."</p>
<p>"Great, tell our boss all my business," Callie groaned and hid herself behind a long sip from her bottle.</p>
<p>Cayde grinned, leaning down onto the table. "Alright, alright, I'm gettin' to it. Let's see... It all started on the night we planned to assault the City and take it back–"</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~ ~~~</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>The night was dark, and the air of the Last City still smelt like ash and smoldering debris. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It made his heart ache not to smell all the restaurants and bakeries doing their cooking, and the faint hint of the flowering trees that were grown on the Tower. Even at night, the City had been alive with Guardians and the militia patrolling the city or random Guardians enjoying the night breeze. Streetlights and neon signs lit up the city, and if you sat on a roof for a few hours, it was oddly calming to see the lights from homes and apartments go off one by one, knowing they'd be right back on the next day. Now all the lights were dead save for a few, and the ones their invaders had set up in their blockades and checkpoints. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With any luck, the City would return to its usual brightness soon enough.</em>
</p>
<p><em>But not until the Red Legion had been </em>permanently<em> evicted from theirhome. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Cayde perched atop a small building, pressed against a wall covered with old laser and bullet residue, but not hard enough to effect the crack that split it down the side. All of his sensors were tuned to perfection. The breeze was nonexistent, perfect for sniping, and Traveler knows they would be doing a lot of it. Without the Light, they were weak. Vulnerable. They had to use everything to their advantage to fight back and try to ensure there would even be a City in the future. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Couldn't fail. Couldn't think about failing. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He held back a sigh. The throwing knife in his hand was a familiar weight. It felt strange not to be able to channel the Light into it and let it blaze with Solar. Cayde gripped the weapon tight. His sensors picked up the clunking sound of heavy footsteps heading down the desolate side street. It was one of the many Centurions that did nightly patrols, he'd spied them earlier. Colonel was ready and deployed. For a moment, Cayde looked up at the Traveler, chained and silent. How was the big guy really still sleeping through all this? Maybe it was in a coma. Couldn't see what was going on, couldn't hear it either. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cayde rolled his shoulders, adjusted his cloak. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>No time for depressing thoughts. That was for on the nights directly after their grand victory party.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cayde approached the half-wall of the apartment building's balcony, throwing knife in hand. All the synthetic muscles in his body were tensed up, ready and waiting. The Centurion was drawing closer. One glance over the railing told him that Colonel was in position. Traveler, she was the perfect chicken. He crouched on the smooth strip of stone, and let out a silent breath that felt entirely too loud.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A harsh clucking echoed down the street. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Colonel looked up from where she was pecking at a bit of debris, hoping it might be a crumb. Down the street from the chicken was another bird that stood by the ankle of the Centurion. Its body was covered in scales that ended in feathers, and it thick body made it look more like a dog than a bird, and even it had a small amount of armor with the Red Legion's symbol on it that managed to stay on despite its impressive plumage. Its beady eyes stared right at Colonel. Cayde's lack of breath still caught in his throat. If he leapt now, it might ruin the ambush but if he didn't...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The Centurion shifted, lowering his Bronto Cannon now that there weren't any potential hostiles.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em><b>&lt;"Just one of the Earth </b><b>animals</b><b>, Ur'aut."&gt;</b> The Centurion glanced down at his pet and let out a rumbling, harsh chuckle that echoed in the quiet night air. <b>&lt;"Nothing to be concerned about. Unless of course, you want a date</b><b>, my handsome boy</b><b>?</b><b> They appear interested in you.</b><b>"&gt;</b></em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Ur'aut tilted his head, and clucked. Colonel clucked back, feathers ruffled up. The Cabal's chicken approached her, head tilting back and forth, and stopped a foot from her. His elongated claws tapped the pavement as he inched closer, but Colonel closed the distance. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If Cayde's knuckles had been made of real flesh, they would've been white as snow. He blinked several times.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>What in the Traveler's name were the chances?</em>
</p>
<p><em>The Speaker had to have been joking when he made that prediction. He'd laughed! </em>'I think one day you'll most certainly end up with a feathered friend of your own, Cayde. It would fit you well. And... I believe you'll find another just like you as well.' <em>Those were his exact words. It had to be a humorous joke based on that Guardian who really liked pet birds. What was his name? Marky? Percy? It was just a bit of a coincidence that he happened to befriend a wonderful little chicken like the man had </em>jokingly <em>told him years ago. A chance encounter that just happened to match up with Speaker's words. Nothing more. He didn't specify a specific sort of feathered friend. For all he knew, the Speaker meant a pigeon. Or a hawk. Oh Traveler, he hadn't meant Hawthorne, had he? He didn't swing that way.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>And he certainly couldn't have been talking about that Centurion down there. With the feathered friend. Whose friend also seemed to be really into his own feathered bird-dog-reptile friend judging by how they were sort of dancing around each other and playing.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It was... cute. He hadn't seen Colonel connect with another chicken in the same way before.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cute chicken or not, the Centurion had to go though. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cayde readied his throwing knife, poised and ready to strike. The Centurion turned to survey his surroundings, and the glint of the Exo's horn in the moonlight caught his eye. He raised his Bronto Cannon, armored claw on the finger, but he stopped. Behind his rounded helmet, his eyes widened.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The Centurion lowered his weapon, mouth agape. <b>&lt;"Ur'aut, it's him..."&gt; </b></em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His reptilian chicken ruffled its plumage at him, still focused on Colonel. </em>
</p>
<p><em>Cayde and the Centurion stared at each other. The Exo didn't move an inch. Why wasn't that guy raising the alarm or Yelling and roaring about intruders in their language and firing at him wildly? If he didn't know any better, the Centurion almost seemed happy to see him. Traveler, he didn't count on a </em>friendly <em>Red Legion Centurion! He didn't even have a smoke grenade to toss at him either. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>"Ah... come to with?" The Centurion called out to Cayde, voice low enough to not boom through the street but enough to carry up to the Exo. "Fighting, no. For looking to." </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cayde blinked once, then twice, then three times for good measure. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Me? You trying to talk to... me?" Cayde pointed to himself. Did he engage in conversation, murder, or call Hawthorne?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The Centurion huffed, muttering something in Ulurant. "Yes. For looking, to you, many long times."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The excitement in the Centurion's voice was audible and he spread his arms wide.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Horn-ed one, you are love true, of Moli'aul!"</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>~~~ ~~~</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Wow, he just confessed to you, right there?" Callie asked, eyes wide with disbelief.</p>
<p>"Yep. At first, I thought Moli was nuts. I mean more nuts than that Vance guy," Cayde chuckled. "Anyways, there I was, torn on what to do. We still had the ambush to do but it felt awkward tryin' to kill a guy who just confessed to you, y'know?"</p>
<p>Cayde paused and finished off his glass. Even now, nearly a year later, the memories still felt fresh. The pain and helplessness he felt when the Light was gone, watching friends die by the hundreds, seeing the home they'd worked so hard to built just topple like a house of cards. Moli'aul was one of the few good memories from the war times.</p>
<p>"I didn't know if he was gonna call more of the Legion over or not. But... he didn't. He actually followed me and helped us on the assault, him and his little pal. The Red Legion were freaked by him switching sides so it made taking 'em out easier. Colonel and Ur'aut made a good team too.So did we."</p>
<p>Tessa let out a soft sigh and leaned her cheek into the palm of her hand. "So romantic... I'd eat raw Hive chitin if it meant getting to see you two in the Crimson Days Doubles."</p>
<p>"No can do on the Doubles, I can't have my big ol' honey-bun getting killed in the Crucible."</p>
<p>"Makes sense..." Tessa huffed a little. "Wait! You gotta tell Callie why Moli knew you too. That's the best part!"</p>
<p>Cayde's mouth grew brighter with a grin.</p>
<p>"Right, right, I can't leave out that part. 'Course, Moli can tell it better but I'll give you the deets at least," Cayde grinned and waved down a bar tender for one last drink. "Well, turns out Moli had someone give him predictions too. Apparently it's kind of a down-down-down-down low thing, but a lot of Cabal go see Psions fortune-tellers.Maybe for fun, maybe for real,go see how quick it'll take 'em to die in battle or how many little Cabal babies they'll have, that kinda thing. Buuuuut, Moli went to see one."</p>
<p>The Exo took a sip of his drink. He spoke slow and hissing, mimicking what he thought a fortune teller might sound like. " The Psion told him '<em>You will meet your true love on the field of battle on Earth. A metal man with a great horn</em><em>–</em><em>' </em>Hint hint, that was yours truly <em>'</em><em>–</em><em>and a pet he'll bring with him. </em><em>Follow him, and your wishes will come true'. </em>Told me later, he knew he'd found me as soon as he saw my beautiful, beautiful horn. Although, his English wasn't great the time. It was kinda confusing. Wasn't sure he was calling me 'horned man' or if he was saying he was horny. Anyways, that's the tale. I accept applause, flowers, and extra loot."</p>
<p>Tessa gave a little round of applause and elbowed Callie until she joined in too.</p>
<p>"Wow. That was a weirdly sweet story. I didn't even think fortune tellers were still a thing, I've only read about them in old books."</p>
<p>"I wonder if there's any in the city," Tessa frowned thoughtfully. "I wanna know if I'm gonna find my own lady love on the battlefield someday."</p>
<p>"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a beautiful horned lady just for you. Hey, Wizards have horns. Go start fightin' and maybe you'll get a date. Speaking of horned people–" Cayde took a moment to finish off his drink. "I better get on home before the hubby stomps down here and drags me out by my cloak."</p>
<p>"Bye, Cayde! Thanks for the story!" Callie gave him a wave and a smile, struggling to hold back a laugh at Terra's grimace.</p>
<p>"Anytime!"</p>
<p>Cayde waved back and got up from the booth, stretching and give a last few byes to Callie and Tessa before their chatter and laughter took up the area. Sundance transmatted him a handful of Glimmer and he passed it across the bar counter to Shu: enough for his drinks and some to work on his fluctuating tab.Outside the bar, one good leap had him on top its flat roof.</p>
<p>Said rooftops also made for a fine method of traveling back home.</p>
<p>Down away from the tall buildings and apartments, the City held many more residential areas full of homes and two floor apartments, and if it weren't for the walls or the Traveler, it looked pretty convincingly like its own little town. Granted, the view used to be better. Used to be more homes and places, but they hadn't gotten around to filling the craters left by the Legion and building back over it yet.</p>
<p>Cayde knew the way to Moli and his home like the back of his hand. And even if he didn't, it wasn't hard to find the one apartment building with the giant ceilings and the extravagant chicken coop in the backyard. He came into the yard, gave Colonel, Ur'aut, and all six of their little chicks a pat. Next was the door and he didn't bother locking it because really, who was going to come rob them? Either he'd shoot them or Moli would toss them over the wall. And speaking of his Moli–</p>
<p>"I'm home!" Cayde called out into the apartment house, kicking the door closed behind him with a boot. "How has my dear sweet Cabal-y bun been?"</p>
<p>A familiar, hulking figure stepped out of the living room, extra large data tablet in hand.</p>
<p>Probably reading old detective novels again like usual.</p>
<p>"Welcome home," Moli's handsome voice was heavy with that sexy accent of his.</p>
<p>Did all the Cabal sound so sexy in English? Minus the Red Legion. And Ghaul. And Calus. He never got tired of it.</p>
<p>Moli sat his book down on a coffee table that was somewhere in between big enough for him and small enough for Cayde, and lifted his husband off the floor to pull him into a hug. Cayde grinned and leaned into Moli's tree-trunk like arms and settled for looping his own around the Cabal's neck. He hadn't gotten any super mechanic arm extenders installed yet. If they existed. They had to. Maybe Banshee could make him some.</p>
<p>"Was your work day good?" Moli carried Cayde into their living room with one arm.</p>
<p>"Yep. Lots and lots of paperwork, as usual. Oh, but I got to commentate some Strikes at least. Mostly officially," Cayde gave him a thumbs up"Sorry I'm a little late too, I stopped by Shu's to pay on my tab. Might've ended up adding to it."</p>
<p>Moli huffed and did that cute scowl where his whole brow scrunched up. "And you didn't bring any back to share? I can't believe I married you."</p>
<p>Cayde grinned. "What kind of horrible husband to you take me for?"</p>
<p>With a thought to Sundance on their neurolink, a bottle of blue alcohol appeared in the Exo's hand.</p>
<p>"Only slightly horrible," Moli's lips shifted into a grin and he pressed a kiss to Cayde's horn. "You're right on time too, one of the Detective Breen films is coming on the television. There's a marathon going."</p>
<p>"Ooh, perfect! I'll get the popcorn!"</p>
<p>"And I shall return with the comfort items and glasses."</p>
<p>Cayde scooted out of his husband's grip and landed perfectly. As big as Moli was, they moved between each other smoothly. It was easy, like walking or talking.He'd bend down to get things from the lower cabinets that Moli couldn't reach comfortably, and the Cabal would get things from the higher shelves made for his size. Between the two of them, their home looked like someone took a big doll house and shoved a bunch of tiny furniture in it just because.</p>
<p>He came back to the living room after a few minutes, a massive bowl of popcorn in one hand with three bags of chips balanced on top and two different sized glasses threatening to slip out of his grip. Moli brought down their big comforter and a smaller blanket Zavala had knitted as a housewarming gift. The two settled down on the couch, and Cayde opted to lay against the Cabal's bulk so his legs wouldn't dangle too much. Moli glanced up when he heard their chicken-door swing.</p>
<p>"I think we'll have additional movie watchers," Moli chuckled, watching Ur'aut peek his head around the corner leading to the kitchen.</p>
<p>"C'mon up here, kids! No popcorn though, that's bad for birds. And it's ours," Cayde put the bowl between he and Moli. One by one, Ur'aut, Colonel, and their chicks filed into the living room and hopped up on the couch to start taking up all the room.</p>
<p>Halfway into the nearly eight and half hour marathon, Moli was out like a light: big mouth agape and soft little snores rumbling through him and down to Cayde. The chickens and chicks had him pinned against the Cabal.</p>
<p>At he end of the day, it was always nice to nestle up against his husband's warm, bulky form. To know his big honey bun was right there, and everything was right in the world. Yeah, maybe it had gotten more than a bit broken and maybe it was weird to get married to someone who had previously been in the army that destroyed your home, but maybe he was a little weird.</p>
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